Virginia Stage Company Kicks Off 2012-2013 Season with FENCES

Virginia Stage Company announced its 34th Season show lineup, including one as-yet-unnamed show. The season will feature two world premieres including a new American Soil Series project, two American classics and one title that is still under wraps. Norfolk Southern will again be VSC’s Season Presenting Sponsor.

“Each season, we produce a lineup of shows that is a blend of popular works familiar to our audience, as well as the most current works on the national theater scene,” said VSC Artistic Director Chris Hanna. “There’s one powerful new drama that will have Hampton Roads’ residents thinking and talking – but because it played recently on Broadway we haven’t confirmed rights yet. Stay tuned for the announcement as soon as the ink dries on the contract.”

Fences – Sept. 25-Oct. 14, 2012By August WilsonWinner of the Pulitzer Prize and 2009 Tony Award for Best Revival – Perhaps the best-loved of August Wilson’s ten-play Pittsburgh Cycle, Fences tells the story of a family trying to stay together while reaching for their dreams. Former sports hero Troy Maxson leans on his son to realize his own unfulfilled dreams in this masterpiece of American theater.

The Comfort Team – Oct. 30-Nov. 18, 2012By Deborah BrevoortWorld Premiere! – This moving new story follows a group of military spouses brought together by duty and bound by honor and friendship. Fates intertwined, the group transcends their differences as they stand by one another through a dramatic crisis that changes their lives forever. This is the fourth play in The company’s American Soil series.

The Comfort Team recently was awarded a prestigious National Endowment for the Arts grant as well as a HARPO Foundation grant. The HARPO Foundation, started by media mogul Oprah Winfrey, recognizes works that cross the boundaries of visual media and artistic disciplines. VSC is the first theater company to receive a grant from the Foundation.

Frog Kiss – Jan. 15-Feb. 3, 2013Book & Lyrics by Charles LeipartMusic by Eric SchorrBased on the novella The Frog Prince, A Fairy Tale for Consenting Adults by Stephen MitchellBy special arrangement with Tamara TunieWorld Premiere! – In this saucy ‘n swingin’ new musical, a scientific-minded princess is determined to turn her frog into a prince in time to save the kingdom. Princess Clementine may just get the Prince of her dreams and a happy ending, unless he’s just another horny toad…

SHOW TO BE NAMED – Feb. 26-Mar. 17, 2013With a mind to feature the most current, popular works at the Wells, VSC is finalizing details now on VSC’s own production of a show straight from the New York stage. An announcement about the play is forthcoming.

The Odd Couple – Apr. 2-Apr. 21, 2013By Neil SimonIn this classic American comedy of opposites, old habits die hard but friendship stays true. Newly divorced, a sloppy sportswriter and a fastidious news writer test their friendship by becoming roommates. Along the way hilarity ensues as they fall back into the behaviors that troubled their ex-wives.

Season Extra – A Christmas Carol – Dec. 7-Dec. 23, 2012By Charles DickensAdapted by Patrick MullinsIt wouldn’t be the holidays without Dickens’ A Christmas Carol at VSC. Ebenezer Scrooge and his travels with the ghosts of Christmas Past, Present and Future reawaken the spirit of Christmas in all of us. This timeless take remains a heartwarming tradition for many Hampton Roads families.

In selecting shows for its season of productions, VSC chooses scripts – and in some cases, develops scripts specifically for our community – that contribute to or start conversations in Hampton Roads. Local artisans and designers craft the sets, props and costumes onsite at VSC, filling the stage with homegrown craftsmanship. Actors are cast from Broadway and theaters across the country, as well as from Hampton Roads’ stable of professional actors.

VSC’s five-show season subscriptions are available from $90 to $210. For more information on subscriptions, contact the Box Office at 757-627-1234 or visit http://www.vastage.com. Single tickets will go on sale in August.

Virginia Stage Company is Hampton Roads’ only fully professional resident theater company, serving an audience of nearly 80,000 yearly. VSC has made significant contributions to the quality of life in the region: presenting more than 185 productions through more than 3,700 performances; revitalizing and renovating the historic Wells Theatre; providing educational programs for students of all ages; and preserving the legacy of live theater for future generations. Norfolk Southern is the presenting sponsor of VSC’s 34th Season.